RIP British Rail. A slow death.

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

The last official remnant of British Rail was laid to rest today.

From the Department for Transport:

BRB^▸ (British Railways Board, or 'be right back', depending on context) (Residuary) Ltd has been abolished
Published 30 September 2013

BRB (Residuary) Ltd (BRBR) has been abolished with effect from 30 September 2013. It had been announced on 14 October 2010 that BRBR would be abolished following the Cabinet Office^s Public bodies review.

BRBR^s continuing functions have been dispersed to various successor bodies.

The article then goes on to list the various successor bodies.

British rail is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet it's maker. It's a stiff. Bereft of life it rests in peace. It's kicked the bucket, shuffled off this mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible.

It is an ex- rail transport operator.

 

[trainer]

So BRB^▸ (British Railways Board, or 'be right back', depending on context) won't Be Right Back.  We have but a limited residuary memory. 

[SandTEngineer]

Well I saw a little bit of it last Saturday when I lowered the door droplight on the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) I was leaving.  The steel spring edging is clearly stamped BR^▸ (British Rail(ways))

[Rhydgaled]

They've given our disused railways to highways!!!! Is this some evil plan to build new roads on some of them?

Judging by the state of the A487 in places they don't have the budget necessary to maintain roads (unless highways are only responsible for dual-carriageways and motorways), let alone disued rail infrustructure.

[grahame]

... And the web site that listed, for public view, the public land and properties owned is no more. 

Many properties had been sold over the years - Wiltshire Council bought the land at Melksham station, with a view to additional car parking and access to the station for bus, cycle and pedestrian, for example - and how thoughtful and far sighted of the that has turned out to be as it's one of the elements they've pledge to take forward with LSTF^▸ (Local Sustainable Transport Fund) finance in the current financial year - needed to help our station support a 30 fold plus increase in passenger numbers.

[stuving]

They've given our disused railways to highways!!!! Is this some evil plan to build new roads on some of them?

Judging by the state of the A487 in places they don't have the budget necessary to maintain roads (unless highways are only responsible for dual-carriageways and motorways), let alone disued rail infrustructure.

This (and the LCR transfer) look like rather desperate attempts to dump these assets somewhere so as to claim another quango kill. OK, the HA^▸ (Highways Agency) does have a section that disposes of odd bits of land that didn't get roads built on them, but that's not exactly the same.

The HA is (it says) responsible for motorway and trunk roads, but there are a few bits of motorway that are left out. The A329(M) is maintained by Wokingham Borough, and it's pretty obvious it's not part of the "strategic network". It could be used to take traffic off other less suitable roads, but (to hear our councillors talk) it seems the HA have a veto on such plans. I'm beginning to believe the HA is staffed by Vogons ... but then there are some that think that about HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)).

[Rhydgaled]

Many properties had been sold over the years - Wiltshire Council bought the land at Melksham station, with a view to additional car parking and access to the station for bus, cycle and pedestrian, for example - and how thoughtful and far sighted of the that has turned out to be as it's one of the elements they've pledge to take forward with LSTF^▸ (Local Sustainable Transport Fund) finance in the current financial year - needed to help our station support a 30 fold plus increase in passenger numbers.

Sounds like a similar story to Fishguard & Goodwick station. The council bought the land (or some of it) with a view to building either a bus/rail interchange or an intermodal freight facility (not sure which, maybe even both). When the rail service finally materialised they brought forward the station reopenning, though it is neither a bus/rail interchange nor an intermodal freight facility.

[grahame]

Sounds like a similar story to Fishguard & Goodwick station. The council bought the land (or some of it) with a view to building either a bus/rail interchange or an intermodal freight facility (not sure which, maybe even both). When the rail service finally materialised they brought forward the station reopenning, though it is neither a bus/rail interchange nor an intermodal freight facility.

We've got much further at Melksham.   Funding has been applied for and awarded.  The successful application included the following

Melksham:
^ Secure cycle parking
^ Walking and cycle route improvements to/from station
^ Town bus service to start earlier and finish later (for rail commuters)
^ Opening of the northern entrance to provide a more direct and safer access for buses, pedestrians, cyclists
^ Car parking improvements.

which - when you consider we're looking at an increase from 20 to nearly many hundreds of journeys starting there each weekday - is very much needed.

Much of the point of the local sustainable transport fund is joined up travel ... the whole thing is based upon really joined up thinking ...